Focus on fast South Coast commute

By
GLEN HUMPHRIES

Improving rail travel times to Sydney is a focus of the NSW Government's Illawarra Regional Transport Plan.

But there is not a lot of detail on how this will be done - or how much shorter the trip will be.

The plan, which is spun out from the Long-Term Transport Master Plan released in late 2012, is one of 14 plans drawn up to address specific regional needs across the state.

In the introduction, the plan claims "a commitment to reduce train travel times between Wollongong and Sydney".

The plan itself is short on detailed information as to how this will be achieved.

"The timetable changes being investigated and modern signalling technology will deliver faster travel times and greater travel reliability between Wollongong and Sydney," the plan states.

"The establishment of NSW TrainLink is an opportunity to review current services (both rail and coach) to ensure they better meet customer needs within the Illawarra region."

There is also a focus on providing better road infrastructure to growth areas such as West Dapto, Calderwood and Tallawarra, as well as efforts to encourage cycling.

The plan identifies the success of the Gong Shuttle service and flags the possibility of offering something similar in other areas of the Illawarra.

"In the medium to long term, we will investigate opportunities to provide improved bus services or a free shuttle bus that provides southern connections around Lake Illawarra, taking in the growing areas of Shellharbour, Warrawong and West Dapto with Wollongong," it stated.

The region's Labor MPs have blasted the plan.

"Every project listed in this report is old or a reannouncement," Shellharbour MP Anna Watson said.

"I always suspected that the release of this plan was delayed because the NSW government knew it had nothing new to say about transport in the southern Illawarra region."

Keira MP Ryan Park labelled it a "pathetic effort" and was disappointed the planning phase of the Memorial Drive extension to Bulli Pass had been pushed out to 2016.